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Category: ACORN India
ACORN India came into existence when in March 2005 the stage was set by the work ACORN International was doing in partnership with the FDI Watch campaign in India. ACORN India FDI Watch seeks to scrutinize and challenge Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector in India. ACORN India seeks to prevent large multi-national companies like Wal-Mart from entering Indian markets unless they guarantee protection of communities they affect; ensure stability of the existing small businesses and ensure livelihoods of small traders; guarantee fair wages, just working conditions and a right to unionize to all their employees; and ensure that a significant portion of the supplies comes from the Indian markets. LEARN MORE>>>
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Yet Another Road Block for Walmart
On 3rd June 2013, Govt. of India defined Group firms as two or more enterprises that directly or indirectly are in a position to exercise 26% or more voting rights in the other enterprise or appoint more than 50% members on board of directors in the other enterprise.
Amidst widespread opposition to the Walmart’s backdoor entry of FDI in Multibrand retail (through Bharti-Walmart, the 50:50 joint venture between Walmart and Bharti for operating Cash-and-carry outlets in India), in April 2010 Govt. of India framed a policy that asked cash-and-carry businesses (Bharti-Walmart) to limit their sale to group firms at 25 per cent of their turnover. In absence of clear definition of what group firms meant Bharti-Walmart’s cash & carry business (20 Best Price Stores) continued to sale almost 85% of their products to Bharti Retail’s 200 Easy Day stores.
Now, Bharti-Walmart will either have to limit its sale to Easy Day to 25 per cent of its turnover or restructure its corporate structure.
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Argentina ACORN Conference Report May 2013
Annual Report on the work of Argentina ACORN presented at ACORN International Conference May 2013 in Honduras.
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Women & Minority Front of Hawkers Launched
The Hawkers Joint Action Committee meeting held on 21st April, 2013 at the Sindhu Samaj Hall, Karolbagh unanimously decided to form fronts of Women and Minorities.
Md. Sayed, Hawkers representative of Badarpur Market and resident of Daryaganj was elected as convenor of the Minority Front.
Ms. Sushma, a member of the Zonal Vending Committee of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Hawkers representative of Karolbagh and resident of Nawada, Dwarka was unanimously elected as Convenor of the Women Front of the Hawkers Joint Action Committee.
More than 100 hawkers representatives who participated in the meeting discussed issues including of newly elected Hon’ble Mayors and Standing Committee Chairpersons in all the three municipal corporations of Delhi. A detail discussion took place on the Food Safety and Standard Act and required interventions by Food vendors.
Hawkers Joint action Committee also decided to actively participate in the forthcoming national convention on FDI in Retail.
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India FDI Watch on German Radio
Please check out FDI Watch audio on German radio documentary on superstores invasion in India.
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Save Retail Democracy Rally
Senior leaders of different political parties and retail stakeholders joined hands together at Save Retail Democracy Rally organised on 7th of March at historical Ram Leela maidan of Delhi. All major wholesale and retail markets of Delhi remained closed on the day.
Tens of thousands of retailers, farmers, hawkers, transporters, labourers, consumers, cooperatives, small scale industries and civil society organizations participated in the rally. An anthem “Jago Apne Watan Ko Bachao-Retail FDI Ko Bhagao” (wake up to save country and chase away Retail FDI) composed by noted bollywood music director Salim Suleman and conceptualised by leading Ad Company R.K.Swami BBDO was the star attraction of the rally.
Senior Leaders of different political parties including BJP President Mr. Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mr. Arun Jaitley, Chairman of Public Accounts Committ ee of Parliament Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, NDA Convener & Janta Dal (U) President Shri Sharad Yadav, Senior CPI Leader Comrade A. B. Bardhan, Leader of CPM in Loksabha Comrade Basudev Acharya, Comrade Amarjeet Kaur and Shri Pawan Kumar of central trade unions addressed the rally.
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ACORN Argentina February 2013 Report
Buenos Aires, 03 de marzo 2013
ACORN-Argentina
Organizador: Yadira Micolta Victoria
Informe: Mes de febrero
En el mes de febrero, al igual que enero, el trabajo fui muy poco, debido a las vacaciones de verano. En marzo ya podremos comenzar con el trabajo realmente.
En febrero iniciamos con la realización del mural, luego nos encontramos con algunos de los miembros de la ONG, (que habían estado de vacaciones en sus respectivos países), pudimos organizar para llevar la siguiente carta a la municipalidad:
Isidro Casanova 27 de Febrero 2013
Solicitar Audiencia
Honorable Consejo
Deliberante
S. Magario
S/D…
Nos dirigimos a ustedes a través
De la presente, a los fines de solicitante una audiencia, motivo la presente la necesidad de tratar la urbanización del Barrio Madre Teresa de Calcuta.
Que ocupamos unas ochentas, familias hace más de lo Diez años, con el fin de obtener la posesión legal de los terrenos comparados y así poder contar con los servicios de luz agua gas, recolección de residuos etc.
Esperando su respuesta favorable a nuestra solicitud los más a bajos firmantes los aludamos atentamente.
Esta carta iría firmada por los miembros de la Organización y por vecinos del barrio, intentamos llevarla la semana pasada pero no fue posible, debido a que faltaron algunas firmas. Junto con la carta tienen que acompañarnos 10 miembros de la organización.
En cuanto a la campaña de remesas, estamos pensando en enviarle a una lista de periodista la información para que sea divulgada.
Seguimos con el envió de cartas, porque tenemos miedo que en algún momento puedan sacar a los miembros de la organización de sus casas, debido a que estos terrenos no les pertenecen, entonces la única estrategia es seguir llenando a la Municipalidad de la matanzas de peticiones, si en algún momento ellos llegan a tomar alguna acción contra nosotros, mostraremos las cartas como garantía de que estuvimos insistiendo constantemente en la adjudicación de los terrenos a los vecinos del Barrio Madre teresa de Calcuta.
Aquí pronto se acercan las elecciones, ya algunos candidatos han comenzado a lanzar sus propuesta, por ese lado quisiéramos saber cuáles son las propuestas qué tienen referente al desarrollo de la Matanza, vamos a estar investigando e informándoles para así poder reclamar nuestro derecho.
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Hawkers Conference in Delhi
Please click to read about our hawkers conference held yesterday in Delhi. More than one thousand street vendors gathered in the conference of Hawkers Joint Action Committee. The committee is initiated and facilitated by us. The central Minister announced for an act to issue vending licences to 2.5% of urban population.
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Food Security in India
Please click to see article by Dharmendra Kumar concerning the Food Security Bill published today in Hindi Daily Prabhat Khabar.
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The Number of Deaths of Homeless People in India is Rising
According to the United Nations Development Programme’s Homeless Survey 2010 report there are 56,000 homeless in Delhi. At present, Delhi has around 150 night shelters; 84 temporary and 66 permanent. This is significantly less than one night shelter for every one lakh people across Delhi as mandated in Delhi Master Plan 2021. The capacity of these shelters varies from 40 to 200 people. According to the Delhi’s Urban Development Minister, the total capacity of permanent night shelters is 9,400 and the capacity of temporary shelters is 4,200. The Delhi government has earmarked Rs 6 crore for the 2012-13 financial year to construct, manage and maintain shelters in Delhi.
ACORN’s Delhi Partner Janpahal is managing three temporary shelters and one permanent shelter. As Delhi continues to shiver in the grip of a cold wave, we are grappling with the task of providing shelter to the homeless citizens of India. All our shelters are nearly always overcrowded. We are stretched to our limits. Delhi urban Shelter Improvement Board has provided the basic infrastructure of porta cabins with water, power, toilets, blankets, carpets etc. We regularly outreach to homeless citizens to bring them to shelters where we engage them with various kinds of programmes. We provide facilities like locker and first aid and link the homeless patients to nearby hospitals. We also conduct counselling sessions with chemically dependent homeless citizens for drugs de-addiction. Newspapers are available in shelters. Targeted training workshops and awareness building are regular features of the programmes. Since most of the homeless residents are undocumented, we have concerted drive to get them counted in the census and enroll them as voters.
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